Embrace the Arctic
B ehind the proud designation , ” the Capital of Northern Scandinavia ,” there is a lot of collaboration in the fields of e . g . academics , logistics and industry . The most northernmost parts of Finland , Sweden and Norway have learned to pull together and this has led to , for instance , new flight routes between the Northern cities . With Arctic industries including e . g . energy production , transport , and mining , there is need to seek synergies wherever possible .
Leading the way in many regards are the “ Arctic universities ” in Oulu , Luleå , Tromsø , and Rovaniemi which are working together to develop an action plan for the Arctic Europe by 2020 . The plan , titled the Arctic Agenda , is a comprehensive action plan involving numerous dimensions ranging from culture and technology to sustainable development , with each of the universities focusing on issues that suit most its particular expertise and competence .
Looking into the future , it is clear that new emerging fields – such as development of sustainable energy and data networks – will also benefit from high-level scientific research . Juha Ala-Mursula from BusinessOulu says that Arctic Europe requires input from many sectors :
“ Universities are focusing research into this area and there are also cultural exchanges . Business needs and logistics are also a key part of the big picture .”
Ala-Mursula believes that the University of Oulu is one of the forerunners of the entire “ Arctic attitude ” – the university understood the vast potential of the Arctic a long time ago and has taken decisive steps to promote the cause .
“ In the future , we will see a trend where the Arctic areas will become even more relevant ,” Ala-Mursula says . Case in point : there are already talks about connecting the London Stock Exchange with its counterparts in Shanghai and Tokyo with a high-performance data cable that would run via the Arctic areas .
“ Security issues could be improved tremendously due to Northeast cable access ,” Ala-Mursula points out . In the similar vein , the Oulu Region is eager to add data centers into its already impressive roster , since the entire “ knowledge-intensive package ” is readily available here :
“ We can offer cost-effective solutions rooted on safety , energy access and convenient construction .” l
North Star Calling
T he Oulu Region is proving to be real wild card in the
Travel & Tourism sector . For many international visitors , Oulu offers a great mix of safety , nature and urban comforts . Jyrki Kemppainen from BusinessOulu says that tourists have flocked to the North in increasing numbers of late .
“ Especially the local hotel market is showing great development .” In Oulu city center average hotel room occupancy rate from Jan-Oct 2016 has been over 65 %.
Nevertheless , most of the hotel patrons are still Finns – Kemppainen estimates the share of international guests at 20 %. “ While there has been decline in the number of Russian guests , it has been more than made up by the increase in the number of guests from Central Europe and Sweden .”
According to Kemppainen , recent marketing moves in the Central European market have certainly given a boost to Oulu ’ s hotel business – and various other businesses of the sector . “ The idea is to showcase Oulu as the most versatile travel destination in Finland ,” he says .
Whether it ’ s skiing , hiking , fishing , shopping or fine dining – all of these things are readily accessible in the region . “ Today , Oulu is a very competitive alternative for today ’ s travellers .”
And yet , there are plans to expand that offering considerably . Located four kilometres from the City Centre , Nallikari travel centre is one interesting “ work in progress ” with EUR 100 million investments being planned for the area . “ Offering beautiful seaside nature , Nallikari could really be something in the years to come ,” Kemppainen believes .
Already , there is the Nallikari Holiday Village , a year-round holiday resort that has made a name for itself as the “ Riviera of the North ”. But that ’ s just for starters :
“ According to the plans , the area could accommodate an amusement park , an activity arena and hotels .” l
6 Nordicum